Special and Multi-functional Structures – Research Areas

Special structures are those structures which are unique in their form, extensivity and/or have significant consequences (both in terms of human- and economiclosses) arising from their failure. Some of the special structures which are well known for structural engineers are long span suspension/cable stayed bridges, transmission line towers, tall cooling towers, ship structures, aerospace structures, intercontinental buried pipelines, tunnels, marine risers, tension leg platforms, offshore structures, power plant structures, tall wind turbines, multi-utility tall buildings, structures made of functionally graded materials, and, space structures. CSIR-SERC has been working/had worked extensively on analysis of ship hull structures, analysis, design and full scale testing of communication- and transmission line- towers, fatigue- and fracture- behaviour of offshore and nuclear piping components, and, analysis and design of cooling towers. It is appropriate that CSIR-SERC furthers its R&D capabilities in the area of special structures to meet future challenges, including analysis and design of these structures. It is also required to carry out R&D towards development of expertise on multi-functional structures which will add a new dimension to sustainability issues through energy harvesting, carbon foot print reduction, etc.